C. Martijn de Sterke received an MEng in Applied Physics from the University of Delft (Netherlands) and his PhD in optics from the University of Rochester (USA). After postdoctoral work at the University of Toronto (Canada), he joined the University of Sydney, where he is now a Professor in Physics. He won the 1999 Pawsey Medal of the Australian Academy of Science. He has been a Fellow of the Society since 2003, and was Optics Express Editor-in-Chief from 2007-2012. In 2017, he received the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal “for far-reaching contributions to optics and photonics education in Australia and the world through exceptional dedication to classroom teaching, outstanding PhD student advising and a sustained commitment to outreach activities.”

Martijn de Sterke has published more than 300 journal papers, in guided wave optics, nonlinear optics, periodic media, random media, and condensed matter physics. In addition to his research he has supervised postgraduate students who have been very successful in subsequent careers in academia and industry, and he has been active in teaching and outreach, both to high school students and teachers and to the general public. Over the years he has also been an enthusiastic participant in the Traveling Lecturer program.